Clamping-sleeve for pneumatic-despatch tubes.



PATENTED FEB. 2'7, 1906.

J. P. SKIRROW. OLAMPING SLEEVE FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATOH TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1905.

F UNITED *-STATES PATENT oFFIon JOHN F. SKIRROW, OF-EQAST. ORANGE, NEW JERSEY. CLAMPING-SLEEVEI FOR PNEUMATlC-DESPATCH TUBES.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Feb. 27, 19 06.

Application filed J 11116 24, 1905. Serial No. 266,721-

lb all whom it may concern;

Beitwknown that 1, JOHN F'. SKIRROW, a citizen of the United Statesyresiding in East Orange, county of Essex, and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamping-Sleeves for Pneumatic-Despatch Tubes, of which the follow.- ing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the sleeve in position; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional view on the line 11 Hot Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a pers ective view of the clamping-sleeve detac ed, f and Fig. 4 a detail view of a slightly-different form of the device. A

In installing neumatic-despatch tube apparatus it is d' cult to join the abutting ends of two sections of the transfer-tube smoothly and to form an airtight closure "between' them. It has been the ractice to use clam in'g-sleeves to bridge t 6 joint between t e abutting ends of the two sections of the tube and to hold said sleeves in position b means of ring-clamps at the ends thereof. 11 addition to this in order to' make the joint airtight the interior of the sleeve andthe exterior of the tubes have beencovered with shellac varnish, so that when said varnish' is dry the sleeve is cemented or frozen in posit on. It will be readily. seen that this operation is tedious and the device bulky and unsightly. It 'is, furthermore, evident that such a joint is extremely difficult to take down without injuring the tubes and the clamping-sleeves.

It is the ob'ect of this invention to provide "a sleeve whic may be readily secured in position to bridge the joint between the abutting ends of two sections of the transfer-tube to form an air-tight closure and which at the same time may be readily removed whenever it may be desired to separate the tube-sections.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates thesheet-metal clampingsleeve, which is split and normally springs open, as shown in i 3 inorder that it. may be readily placed a out the transfertube. Along .the longitudinal edges of the split sleeve are formed the radial bars or flanges 2, which are adapted to be brought together when the sleeve is in position about the tube. These flanges or bars are threaded to receive clamping-screws 3, by means of which the two longitudinal edges of the sleeve are brought close to ether and the sleeve thus clamped aboutjt e transfer-tube in position to bridge the joint between theabutting sections-thereof. The clamping-sleeve on its inner side and near'one of its longitudinal edges is formed with a recess or socket 4. The opposite edge of the sleeve is formed with an outward-projecting inte ral ton ue 5, which when the longitudinal e ges of t e sleeve are drawn together by means ofthe bolts fits -snugly in said socket; The tongue is curved to correspond to the curvature of the sleeve,

and-the socket is of a depth equal to the thickness of-the tongue, so that when said tongue is in osition therein the interior surface of the s eeve will be smooth and practically continuous, so that it ma be caused to fit closely about'thetube. 11 placing the sleeve on the tube} sections the tongue is placed at the joint, so that when the sleeve is firmly clamped in position said tongue will bridge the 'oint or space between the two flanges of t e sleeve, andthereby com lete the annular air-retaining closure. It w1ll of tongue being formed. integral therewith. The

sleeve-forming sheet is bent around the longitudinal stiffening-barsfi, and the edges of said sheet are secured to the outer surface of the body of. said material, so that the stifl'enlug-bars are inclosed thereby. It will of course be understood that if it be desired the stiflenin -bars may ,be dispensed with and several f thelongitudinal edges of the sleeve to stiffen the same and to form a body'of material through which to form the screw-threaded openings for the clamping-screws, as shown at 2 in Fig. 4. 7

It will be readily seen that the clam inge sleeve of this construction may be readi y secured about the abutting ends of two sections of a pneumatic-des atch tube and that when in position it will orm a complete airtight closure therefor. It will be further seen that whenever desired'the sleeve ma .be

qfiiickly. detached from the tube. ven s ould it be found desirable to use shellac varnish to aid in forming the air-tight joint said varnish would not interfere with the re olds of the material be made along 'IIO course be seen that'if the tongue were omitmoving of the sleeve, for the reason that said sleeve would tend to spring open as soon as the clamp-screws are removed therefrom.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A clamping-sleeve for pneumatic-des atch tubes comprising a broad sheet of thin exible material adapted to bebent around a tube and provided at its longitudinal edges with outward extending v clamping bars, a broad tongue formed on one longitudinal edge of said sleeve midway the ends thereof, a tongue-receiving socket bein formed in the inner surface of said sleeve at t e other longitudinal edge thereof and adapted to receive said tongue, whereb said tongue willbridge the joint between the longitudinal edges of the sleeve, and broad bearing and clam ing surfaces will be provided on each side 0 the tongue and socket, and clam ingscrews threaded through the clampingars on each side of the socket and tongue, said screws bein adapted to-draw together the longitudina edges of the sleeve.

2. A clampin -sleeve for neumatic tubes consistin of a ongitudinallg -spht sleeve of thin resi ient material adapted 'to be folded about the said tubes, thelongitudinal edges of said sleeve being folded around longitudinal bars to form stiff clamping members, means secured to said clamping members to draw the two edges of the sleeve together, an outward-extending tongue or bridge-piece formed-0n one longitudinal edge of the sleeve, a socket being-formed in the other edge of said sleeve on the inner side thereof to receive said tongue or bridge: iece when the two clamping members are rawn together. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses, this, 21st dayof June, 1905.

JOHN F. SKIRROW. Witnesses:

JNo. T. NEEDHAM, THOS. L. CARPENTER. 

